Palácio da Alvorada
The presidential residence on the shore of Paranoá Lake, its inverted curved white columns reflected in the pool. It was the first palace completed in Brasília.
Completed in 1958, the Palácio da Alvorada is one of the first buildings Niemeyer designed for the capital. Its distinctive “sail-shaped” columns later became part of the emblem of Brasília. The residence is generally not open to the public, but visitors can take photos from the viewing area beyond the fence, and rheas (ema) are often seen on the lawn. It lies about 4 km east of the Praça dos Três Poderes, on the lakeshore. You need to take a taxi to get there, and it can be combined with a boat tour of the lake.
Opening hours
Viewing area (exterior) open all day
Nearby sights
- Lake Paranoá
- Ermida Dom Bosco
- Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge
- Pantheon of the Fatherland and Freedom Tancredo Neves
- Palácio do Planalto
- Praça dos Três Poderes
- Supreme Federal Court
- National Congress of Brazil